2020-2021 Impact of Info Sessions

Considerations

While this data is informative, there are a lot of thing to consider, including but not limited to:

• The GRE was waived across all program areas in 2020-2021.

• We hosted eight (versus the normal one or two) virtual info sessions throughout the year.

• Counselor education, special education MA and PhD as well as MEd/licensure, and school psychology posted replays of their info sessions to the website. For this reason, the info sessions may have reached more applicants than I'm able to measure in this summary.

  • Students may have been getting the answers they needed to apply through live and posted info sessions. Despite the increase in applicants, 20% fewer web forms were completed in 2020-2021, down from 271 forms in 2018-2019 to 218 forms in 2020-2021.

• QME did not participate.

• More students may have considered MA/PhD graduate school due to COVID.

• Fewer students may be considering becoming teachers due to COVID

• Previous year's data showed quite a bit lower numbers which makes sense given our virtual last year. However until we integrate with Slate, gathering this information is all very manual. That said, last year's recruitment numbers may be higher than reflected here.

While there are many considerations, we also know that all of the students who completed the orientation survey in fall 2020 and attended an info session said the info session positively influenced their decision to join their program.

Summary of results

Out of 365 applicants for summer and fall 2021:

• 57 (15.6%) RSVP’d to an info session (vs. 12 fall 2020 applicants who RSVP’d to an info session in 2019-2020)

• 53 (14.5%) attended at least one info session (vs. 11 fall 2020 applicants who attended in 2019-2020)

  • 32 (56%) attended Zoom sessions (vs. 5 fall 2020 applicants in May 2020)

  • 21 (38%) attended the October 2021 Psychology Grad School Virtual Fair (vs. 6 fall 2020 applicants in 2019-2020)

• 20 (5%) completed a web form

• 114 (31.2%) accepted admission

  • 21 (18.4% of those who accepted admission) RSVP’d to an info session

    • Overall estimated potential ROI from info sessions in 2021: $4.5 million (This is based on average credits per program and conservatively estimated with lower, in-state tuition rates. Information on how this was calculated is included in the full data.)

  • 8 (7% of those who accepted admission) completed a web form

    • There was some overlap; 2 (1.7% of those who accepted admission) RSVP’d to an info session AND completed a web form.